Improvement in wash-boards



R. W. HARPER. Wash-Board.

No. 208,594. Patented Oct. 1,1878.

NTOR

' W W My ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. HARPER, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASH-BOARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,594, dated October 1, 1878; application filed August 7, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. HARPER, of Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Wash-Boards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a perspective section of my improved washboard, and Fig. 2 is a top view of the woodenribbed back board. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the wash-board.

This invention has relation to improvements in zinc-faced wash-boards.

The object of the invention is to prevent the angular corners of zinc wash-board plates from breaking down under pressure and to support them from below.

The nature of the invention consists in combining with a zinc wash-board plate having transverse zigzag corrugations, forming spaced angles, of a back plate having raised angular oblique ribs, fitting closely in the alternate branches of said zigzags and supportin g each and every angle or corner of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A desi gnates a wash-board, having a back board, B, framed in the usual way, and supporting the zinc plate 0. This latter is provided with a number of transverse angular zigzag corrugations, a, forming the angles i i, which, when in use, are liable to break or batter down.

The board B is of wood, and is provided with oblique ribs b, the inclination of which is the same as that of the sides of the angles t t, and which are arranged in parallel rows extending from top to bottom of the said back, and separated from each other by a space, 0. These ribs are formed continuously across the board by a corrugating plow, plane, or other equivalent device, the spaces 0 being subsequently out out in any suitable manner, so as to isolate each row of ribs. Each rib b is somewhat longer than from the angle '13 to the angle 2', and fits neatly in the space between them, adequately supporting each of the said angles.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that only the alternate branches of the zigzags are supported by the ribs b, the ends of which, however, are under the angles 1; i and afford them sufficient support.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with a metallic plate having transverse angular zigzag corrugations, of a wooden back board having vertical rows of short oblique ribs b, separated by vertical spaces a, and fitting neatly into the alternate branches of the zigzags and supporting the angles thereof, substantially as specified.

In testimony that 1 claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT W. HARPER.

\Vitnesses:

J. S. MIMis, II. A. BROWN. 

